Citizen journalism is an activity that is becoming increasingly popular in modern society. It is a broad term used to describe the phenomenon of average citizens taking on the roles of amateur journalists, in order to provide alternative sources of information, outside of more traditional news and media sources. Additional terms that are frequently used to describe this movement include the following: Participatory journalism, democratic journalism, street journalism, or guerilla journalism.

Although citizen journalism has been in existence for decades, in various forms, the movement is currently experiencing a marked rise in popularity. The reasons for this increased exposure are multiple and varied, but can be mainly attributed to the seemingly limitless access to information from across the globe, via the internet, and the easy accessibility to internet activities such as blogging and posting videos on YouTube. There are a number of important discussion points that need to be addressed when considering the advantages and disadvantages of citizen journalism, including the question of why it exists, the many forms that it takes, the question of objectivity, and the degree of influence that it can and often does have on the propagation of ideas and movements. These points will be discussed in more detail below.

Why is Citizen News Important? Why and How Does It Exist?

Citizen news is an extremely broad term, encompassing countless types of information and methods of delivery. The general idea behind the phenomenon is the basic desire to receive and transmit information. Citizen journalists may be motivated to share information for any number of diverse reasons: They may be activists; attention-seekers; they may be privy to important information not being addressed by more traditional media sources; they may wish to express an opinion. Some amateur writers may wish to provide unbiased perspectives on situations in which they feel the traditional media is presenting only one side, while others may devote their energies to fact checking and/or analyzing existing news pieces.

Popular Forms of Citizen Journalism

As described above, the idea of a democratic form of journalism, where every individual is entitled to a voice, and to having that voice heard through various forms of media, may manifest itself in many ways. In today’s plugged in society, propagating information has never been easier, with tools such as web logs (blogs), chat rooms and message boards, and the ability to publish home videos of every sort on YouTube and similar sites. One characteristic that all of these citizen journalism sites have in common however, is the possibility for audience participation. Discussing an issue in one of these public domain sites invites the opportunity to publicize criticisms and comments, and to engage in a continuous dialogue.

The Question of Objectivity

The biggest challenge, with citizen journalism, is being able to identify information that is put forth in an objective and unbiased way, as opposed to information that is used to advance a particular cause or idea. Although it may be argued that every large media generator, particularly those that are for-profit organizations, has an ulterior motive, and wittingly or unwittingly promotes the interests of that given group through the information they propagate, citizen journalism introduces an entirely new level of news acquisition and generation. Determining the reliability of sources becomes a different sort of challenge; one that requires a natural inquisitiveness on the part of the reader, and the necessity of checking multiple accounts at the same time to find the accuracy of answers to questions. In effect, citizen journalism challenges readers and viewers to question all of the information they receive on a daily basis, and to develop their own perspectives on current events.

[Original Article Found at inRochester.org - a citizen news site in Rochester, NY]

As with anything in women’s fashion, there are many styles of ladies coats.  From the very basic, to the extravagant and everything in between, coats are a staple of any women’s wardrobe.  Depending on your location, you may have only a couple of lightweight coats for those chili nights, or a rain jacket for those rainy days.  If you live where it gets a bit colder, and perhaps snows, you’re going to have quite a few more options as far as jackets go.  Living in such a climate actually opens you up for a whole branch of fashion that some people unfortunately miss out on.  Ladies coats can be fashionable and fun as well as functional.

Ladies Winter Coats

Ladies winter coats have quite a wide range of styles and uses on their own.  One of the warmest types of basic winter coat is the puffy down jacket.  Down is incredibly warm and comfortable, but can also be a bit expensive.  You can also go with a similar style of jacket that has a synthetic filler that is more reasonably priced.  Of course, there are plenty of jackets for specific winter activities, such as skiing and snowboarding.  More and more women are becoming involved in such sports, and even in fairly recent past had been required to purchase men’s jackets to keep in with the style of their sport.  Ladies snowboarding jackets have especially come a long way in combining this extreme sport’s distinctive style with feminine touches.  Some other styles of winter jackets for women include ladies peacoats, ladies long coats, and ladies parka coats.  These coats may or many not include faux or real fur.  Not only is fur a certain style of fashion, but it can be very warm.  Ladies fur coats can be merely for show and fashion, or they can be made to be incredibly durable and naturally warm winter jackets.

Ladies Leather Coats

Of course a classic fashion element is leather, and ladies leather coats are not different.  These coats come in many styles, including bomber style, ladies leather biker coats, long coats and ladies leather trench coats, and more.  In addition to the many styles, the leather itself can vary in the color and grain, depending on what animal it comes from.  Calf skin is known for it’s incredibly softness, and smooth grain, while you’ll find jackets like ladies bike jackets made from thick leather hide with a rougher grain.  Of course, if you like the style, but prefer to not wear actual leather, there are synthetic leather jackets available for women as well.

Ladies Trench Coats

Ladies trench coats are one of the more versatile style of jacket available.  They can be worn for both casual and business wear, and come in many materials, and colors, as well as several styles.  Whether combined with ladies suits or jeans and a t-shirt, they are never out of place.  They can be layered for cold weather, or stripped down for warmer weather, and they always look sharp.  Ladies long coats, or trench coats can be considered one of the most necessary outerwear garments in woman’s wardrobe due to their versatility and fashionability.

These are only a few of the most common or popular types of ladies coats available.  There are, of course, many more out there.  Some coats are extremely edgy and don’t even fit into a category.  You’ll find jackets made by high-end designers as well as no name companies, and those that are suitable for warm and rainy weather to those suitable for arctic excursions.

If you’re looking to reduce the bulky look of a standard wallet, you might want to look into a money clip wallet.  Traditional bi-fold and tri-fold wallets are large on their own, and when you start adding your cash, cards and other items they increase in bulk rather quickly.  There’s an episode of Seinfeld where George Costanza has such a wallet and it’s so full of junk it gives him back problems as well as causing a number of other issues throughout the episode.  The point is, they were poking fun of these wallets in this episode because they are old fashioned, and out-dated.  The more modern approach to carrying your cash and cards is a mens money clip wallet.

These wallets tend to have only 2 or 3 slots for your most frequently used cards, and a clip for your cash.  This clip either uses pressure to hold the bills in place, or a magnetic flap of leather, with another magnet built into the wallet itself.  Some of these wallets have another slot for miscellaneous cards, located lengthwise and more difficult to access, but this is where you might put less frequently accessed cards like insurance cards, your AAA membership card, or grocery store cards, and other membership cards.

The Leather Money Clip Wallet

The leather money clip wallet approaches this modern style with the tradition of fine crafted leather.  You will find this type of wallet in any color you’d find any leather goods, with black and shades of brown being the most common.  Considering the audience for this product (mostly men), it may be a bit more difficult to find a hot pink money clip wallet, but they’re out there.

The Metal Money Clip Wallet

If you want to leave tradition behind, and go full modern, you can always check out a metal money clip wallet.  These wallets are slightly more bulky than the leather counterparts, and of course weigh a bit more, but they are sleek looking, and tough.  Often also referred to as “metal credit card wallets,” these wallets can be made from a multitude of metals from aluminum to titanium.  As you might imagine a titanium money clip wallet comes at a hefty price, but nothing beats titanium for it’s toughness and sleek looks.

The key to selling point of a mens money clip with wallet is that you can carry everything you truly need while keeping a slim pocket profile.  These wallets are also sometimes called front pocket wallets because they are slim enough to be carried in the front pocket without causing discomfort.  There are a couple of reasons why you might be concerned with the bulk of your wallet and decide to go with a money clip wallet.  Perhaps you don’t want a bulky wallet to throw off the perfect lines of you finely tailored suit.  Maybe you carry several electronic devices (phone, ipod, digital camera) in your pockets, so you’re trying to reduce bulk anywhere you can.  Whatever your reasons, a mens wallet with money clip is a modern, efficient and minimalist approach to carrying your essentials.

Sometime’s a girl has to dress to impress, and nothing makes a great first impression like ladies suits.  There are many styles of suits for women out there, and the various styles are often not only suited to a particular fashion sense, but to specific occasions.  Ladies’ suits can be used for business, weddings, church, or any occasion that requires one to dress up a bit.

Ladies Business Suits

Business suits for ladies are meant to look fashionable, sharp, and provide an air of confidence.  These suits, whether they are ladies dress suits, or pants suits, command respect in any business related environment, and convey the confidence and professionalism.  When a women walks into the boardroom to give a presentation, she wants no confusion as to who’s in charge, and that she knows what she’s doing.  Her suit will be the first thing to speak for her when she walks in that room, and this is why a sharp business suit is a crucial piece in any women’s wardrobe.  For inclement weather, nothing beats combining a ladies trench coat with a fine suit.

Ladies Wedding Suits

Some women prefer to skip the wedding dress when they get married, and opt instead for a wedding suit.  These suits are refined and elegant.  They come in many colors and styles, as you’d find in any women’s suit, but wedding suits for women will tend to stick to the traditional white, or off white colors.  You will find these with pants, or a skirt, and they can come with a matching veil, if you’d like.

Ladies Church Suits

Church suits are one of the more unique ladies suits designs.  They have the traditional look that you think of when you hear “sunday’s best.”  They have a formal but fun look to them.  Many times they will come with a matching hat that really tops the look off nicely.  Whether you visit weekly, or you choose to only go during holidays, a woman should always be prepared to enter the Lord’s House by having a church suit in her closet.

There really are ladies suits for every occasion.  These are the most common main categories of women’s suits here, and you can delve deeply into all of them to find a suit that not only matches your style, but your situation.  It’s always a good idea to have a solid selection of suits available in your wardrobe so you don’t have to go scrambling for one when the occasion arrises.

A wedge pillow is a triangular shaped pillow that has many practical uses.  Some people simply enjoy the sleeping position that such a pillow provides, whether they use it to support their torso, and head, or they place it under their knees and use it as a leg wedge pillow.

Using it as a bed wedge pillow to support the torso, shoulder, neck and head is not only comfortable to some but may alleviate the symptoms caused by acid reflux disease, or gastroesophoageal reflux disease (GERD).  While you lay flat in a normal position, acid from your gastrointestinal system can creep up your esophagus, causing erosion, caughing,  and many of more uncomfortable symptoms.  It’s recommended that you elevate your upper body so gravity works for you in keeping that acid down, and this is where your pillow wedge comes in handy.  It’s a more natural-feeling and comfortable solution than simply stacking a pile of pillows up.

Memory Foam Wedge Pillow

A memory foam wedge pillow is considered one of the higher quality types of pillow out there.  You’ll find that this type of memory foam pillow is rather expensive, but it’s also considered to be a very comfortable material as opposed to standard foam, as it is more dense and provides more support that contours to your specific body shape.

Inflatable Wedge Pillow

If you’re a frequent traveller and enjoy the sleeping position afforded by a wedge pillow, then an inflatable pillow is ideal for your situation.  Obviously a foam pillow is going to be quite cumbersome to take with you on your travels, especially so with a memory foam pillow because of their weight and density.  They’re not exactly conducive to being compressed and carried.  Inflatable wedge pillows are lightweight and packable, and will give you the comfortable sleeping position you’ve grown accustomed to while using your wedge pillow at home.  These transportable wedges also make a great backstop to sit against at family sporting events, like your kids’ soccer games, or at the beach where you might want to lie leisurely in the sand and read your favorite book or just take in the scenery.

The Wedge Pillow is Versatile

One thing you can do with your wedge is to arrange it vertically to use as a comfortable back rest when you’re sitting up in bed reading, or working on a laptop top.  Also, as mentioned above, the wedge can be used for either your back or your legs.  Some people even enjoy using a wedge under both their upper and lower body.  This gives you an almost fetal sleeping position that some find very comfortable.  You can even go all out and get an entire wedge sleeping system that includes massaging features.

Really, there are in infinite amount of uses for a wedge pillow.  If you use your imagination you can probably think of some great ways to utilize the body positioning that such a pillow might allow.  It can be used to alleviate some symptoms of GERD, and minor cases of snoring, or you can use it simply to sleep more comfortably; really, you can use it however you think a wedge pillow should be used.